The present invention relates to word games used for entertainment and educational purposes, specifically to word games that enable a player to form new longer words out of at least two base words under a player selected rules set, and that encourage language learning by the provision of word definitions in one or two languages.
There are many word games in existence that challenge a player to form new words from a limited number of letters. The letters available to a player are generally either provided by drawing from a pool of individual letters or by using only those letters in a selected base word. The player then has a limited amount of time to form as many new words as possible by rearranging the base letters. The number of letters a player has to work with is generally limited by the number of individual letters he or she is allowed to draw or by the number of letters in the base word. In either case, the longest word a player can possibly form, is limited by the number of letters available. If seven letters are available to a player, the longest word that player can form is a 7-letter word. This necessarily limits the educational challenge presented a player. Generally, longer words are more difficult and challenging to create.
The educational challenge and entertainment value of word games is likewise limited by the limitation that new words formed are proper words only, the lack of random elements to the game such as the prize amount to be won in a round of play and/or the limited set of ways to play a game.
The present invention is directed to overcoming these limitations by providing a word game that significantly enlarges the potential size and number of words a player may make through the use of multiple base words. It also increases the entertainment and educational value of the game by enabling the same game pieces to be used in different ways under a variety of rule sets to new and different outcomes. The present invention introduces a random element to increase its entertainment value by providing a pointer to be spun on a game board to determine the number of letters in the set of at least two base words to be played in a round and the prize amount to be awarded to the round winner. The present invention also provides a game rules sheet to increase both the entertainment and educational aspects of the game by enabling players to select from among at least two optional definitions per type of rule on the rules sheet to create a new rules set for each game played.
The player-specified rules set varies the game""s challenge level. For example, the time limit during which new words may be formed may be lengthened or shortened; the type of new words that qualify for credit may include all proper words or may be limited to certain kinds of words such as country names, U.S. President""s names, or the like; the criterion for determining a round winner may be set to the greatest number of words formed, or may be set to a more challenging criterion such as the greatest number of words formed of the base word length or greater; the criterion for determining a game winner may be set to a certain total prize amount, or may set to some other criterion such as the player who has formed the longest word in a specified number of rounds of play; and, in bi-lingual versions of the game, the language of play may be set to the native language of the players or to the second language to challenge players to form new words in another language. In this way, one game set provides a variety of game types and levels from which players may choose.